Policing What Matters: Insights from the UK on Policing Reform and the Impact of Science and Technology

Policing What Matters: Insights from the UK on Policing Reform and the Impact of Science and Technology

The ANZPAA Police Conference 2025 keynote session, Insights from the UK on Policing Reform and the Impact of Science and Technology, examined how UK policing is adapting to contemporary challenges through strategic reform and technological advancement.

A central theme was the measurable impact of technology investment on policing productivity. The 2022 Policing Productivity Review reported 64 examples of science and technology driving productivity in England and Wales. It is estimated that these 64 projects saved 347,656 of workforce hours per annum and led to direct net savings of £8.2 million a year in costs. If they were scaled nationally in the UK, and similar gains are assumed for 43 forces, potentially up to 15 million hours could potentially be saved annually. These findings underscore the importance of systematically capturing, evaluating, and disseminating effective practices to maximise their impact sector-wide.

The evolving landscape of policing demands a workforce equipped with robust technological skills. Professor Paul Taylor referenced recent work that found 59% of all roles in UK policing now

require a technological skill set. This trend is not limited to specialist positions; frontline and neighbourhood policing roles increasingly depend on digital literacy. He advocated for creative recruitment and development strategies, giving the examples of PhD summer schools that allow doctoral candidates to engage with police data, and partnerships with mental health professionals to enhance operational effectiveness.

Resource allocation was addressed through the ‘70-20-10 model of policing.’ This framework proposes that 70% of resources should be dedicated to delivering day-to-day operations, 20% to improving processes that already exist and 10% to transformative, forward-looking ideas. Professor Paul Taylor noted that 97% of UK policing funds are currently spent on immediate needs. The model encourages a more balanced approach, ensuring that innovation is not sidelined by operational pressures.

To guide innovation, the National Police Chiefs' Council has recently published a Policing Problem Book, systematically collecting and prioritising challenges across the sector. This process enables police forces to identify the top issues requiring solutions and communicate these priorities to industry partners. The problem book serves as a strategic tool for aligning innovation efforts with operational needs and ensuring that resources are directed toward the most impactful areas.

Local innovation remains a cornerstone of effective reform. Examples such as rapid video response for domestic violence calls and the ‘composting cannabis’ initiative illustrate how grassroots solutions can deliver significant benefits. However, the session emphasised the challenge of scaling and embedding these innovations into frontline practice. Barriers include funding models, resource constraints and the complexity of change management. Structured, phased adoption was recommended to facilitate the rollout of new tools and practices.

This session underscored that the future of policing will hinge on a strategic blend of science, technology and locally driven improvement. Scaling up proven innovations, investing in workforce technological literacy and adopting balanced resource models are essential steps.

This editorial draws directly from the ANZPAA Police Conference Keynote Session: Policing What Matters: Insights from the UK on Policing Reform and the Impact of Science and Technology, presented by Professor Paul Taylor (National Police Chief Scientific Adviser, UK) & Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan KPM (South Wales Police).

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